Recent Comments:
Henna ingredients may cause cancer
The Cancer Blog
Apr 4th 2006 12:16AM This article would have been more helpful had 1) the title specified "black" henna, and 2) explained how to tell whether a henna artist is using safe, natural henna, or using PPD and misleading the public by calling it henna. A follow up article on the unethical and fraudulent practices of "black henna" artists is probably called for here.
While "black henna" artists MAY be using henna in their mix, if the henna paste includes PPD it must be considered highly toxic. PPD is made by DuPont, and the MSDS (material safety data sheet) clearly states that prolonged skin contact is highly dangerous. Using PPD in any kind of skin art and labeling it "henna" in any way is misleading to the public, fraudulent, and very, very dangerous.
Natural henna is considered quite safe, and has a very low allergy rate. ALWAYS ask your henna artist for a list of ingredients in their paste. If they will not supply it, or you do not recognize anything on the list and they do not explain it to your satisfaction, you absolutely should not permit them to apply the paste to your skin.
